Molded rubber storm boot



F. M. LE COMPTE 3,006,084

MOLDED RUBBER STORM BOOT Oct. 31, 1961 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 PEG. 2

Oct. 31, 1961 F. M. LE coMPTE 3,006,084

MOLDED RUBBER STORM BOOT Filed Feb. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTOR. fl'emve A! (kW/ r:

FIGS

ArroeA/zxs 3,006,084 MOLDED RUBBER STORM 809T Frank M. Le Compte,Watchung, N.J., assignor to Tinglcy Rubber Corporation, a corporation ofNew ersey Filed Feb. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 793,562 1 Claim. (Cl. 36-73) Thepresent invention is directed to a new form of molded rubber storm boot,which is waterproof, sturdy but of very light construction, which can beworn comfortably without perspiring due to the built in ventilation,which permits easy ingress or egress of the shoe due to integrallymolded rubber fins therein, which permits the boot to fit shoes ofdifferent shapes and sizes and centers the shoes in said boot, and whichhas other advantageous features later to be described in detail.

The boot of the present invention may be made either with the standardtubular upper or with an upper having a triangular two ply gusset flapwhich serves as an extension of the upper to expand the top openingthereof and thereby permit easy ingress of the shoe. Preferably, theboot is made in one piece of rubber by a single molding operation andthe toe and heel fins are molded in at the same time.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention arereadily apparent from the following description and from theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective of a bootembodying the present invention and broken away to show the toe and heelFIG. 2 is a partial section taken on the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial section taken on the lines 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial section taken on the lines 44 of FIG. 1 and showingthe heel fins compressed as in inserting or removing the shoe;

FIG. 5 is a partial section similar to FIG. 4 but showing the heel finsin normal position with heel of shoe in place;

'FIG. 6 is a perspective of a boot with a foldable flap in the upper andbroken away to show the toe and heel fins;

FIG. 7 is a partial section taken on the lines 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial section similar to FIG. 7 but showing the heel finscompressed as in inserting or removing the shoe; and

FIG. 9 is a partial section taken on the lines 9-9 of FIG. 6 but showingthe flap closed.

Referring to the drawings:

In FIG. 1 the boot is shown as made entirely of rubber and molded in onepiece. It comprises a lower foot section 10 having a treaded sole 11, avamp 12 and a reinforcing foxing 13 around the edge of said sole andvamp. The boot also has an upper leg portion 14 formed as an open topsleeve and molded in one piece with the vamp 12. The vamp 12 and upperleg portion 14 are molded with fins 15 projecting inwardly from the wallof the boot and extending from the toe right on up to point 19 which isjust below the top of the boot 16. These fins vary in width from the toearea 17, where they are narrow, on up to the instep 18, where they widenout to full width, and then again narrow as they approach the top at 19.The fins 15, being molded to the boot wall, constitute a means wherebythe boot may be easily slipped on over a wearers shoe as well as a meansfor holding the shoe 2?. properly in place in said boot; and they alsoprovide a means for ventilation during the wearing period. As the bootwall flexes above the shoe during the stepping motion, alternatelycontracting and expanding 3,006,084 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 the air spaceso provided by the fins, an air movement occurs, producing theventilating effect.

Heel fins 21 are also formed in the rear portion of the vamp 12 andmolded on the wall 20 to act in the same way as the fins 15 in the toeand instep area of the boot.

The boot, made of a single piece of rubber by the use of compressionmolding, is economical to manufacture and produces a tough durableproduct. The inwardly projecting fins, being molded in the singleoperation, have the added advantage of being structurally sound andeconomical to produce while achieving the desired improvement in wearingcomfort. The fins not only provide passages for ventilation, but alsoprovide a means whereby various shapes and sizes of shoes may be worn inthe same boot without changing the shape or size of the boot, thusallowing fewer sizes of boots to be made and still accommodate a varietyof shoe sizes.

Increased comfort to the wearer is also provided by the fact that theheel and toe fins provide a means for grasping the wearers shoe so thatin actual walking the shoe does not tend to pull out heel first at eachstep, as has hithertofore been the case. In other words, the fins limitthe movement of the shoe in the boot while permitting sufiicient flexingof the boot wall to provide the ventilating effect.

The details of the toe fins 15 and the manner in which they function arewell depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, it being noted that (1) the fins arearranged in such spaced relation as to provide passages for ventilation;(2) they are of sufficient width to allow them to act as spacers toseparate the boot and shoe for positioning; (3) they are arranged to actas guides for easy ingress and egress of the shoe; and (4) they areflexible and resilient and thus insure a tight fit between the shoe andthe boot regardless of the shape or size of the shoe.

In FIG. 4 is shown the position the heel fins 21 will assume when theboot is being pulled on over the heel 23 of the shoe 22. This figurewill also show the arrangement whereby shoes of various sizes may beaccommodated by the flexibility and resiliency of the heel fins.

FIG. 5 shows the position of the fins 21 when the heel 23 of the shoe 22makes a perfect fit with the heel portion of the boot.

In FIG. 6 is shown the application of the toe and heel fins to a bootwith a foldable top. This boot is also made wholly of rubber and in onepiece by compression molding and comprises a lower foot portion 30having a treaded sole 31, a vamp 32, and a reinforcing foxing 33 aroundthe edge of said sole and vamp. The boot also has an upper leg portion34 formed with opposing sides having forward extensions 41 to define aWrap-around two-ply flap in the form of an inverted triangle.

When the extension 41 is fully extended forwardly, a Wide top opening ispresented, and the flap presents a triangular pocket forming a forwardextension of the hollow of the upper of the main body 34. Four fins 35,two on each inside face of the boot, permit the foot of the wearer to beguided easily and comfortably into the boot. Heel fins 41a are alsoprovided to act in the same way as the heel fins 21 of the firstembodiment. When the boot has been fully slipped onto the shoe and theinwardly projecting fins have assumed their normal position, theextension 41 is folded and wrapped around the outer side 34 of the bootto close said opening snugly and neatly about the leg either in theregion of the ankle or directly above it. The extension 41 is fastenedin this folded and wrapped position by means of a rubber button 44molded integrally with the wall 34 of the boot in the same moldingoperation which molds the complete boot, and the upper forward sectionof the flap 41 is provided with a tab 42a having a circular eyeletforming a grommet 43 which can beslipped over said button for fasteningpurposes.

The fins 35, like the fins 15 of the first embodiment, are carried downto the toe of the boot where at point 37 they are narrow and extendinwardly and upwardly and widen out as they go on up over the instep andat point 38 where they are Widest and again narrow down to the wall atpoint 39. The fins 35, being molded in one piece with the boot,constitute means whereby the boot may be easily slipped over the wearersshoe as well as a means for positioning the shoe properly in said bootand thus when properly placed, provide passages for ventilation duringthe wearing period.

The heel fins 41a, formed in the rear portion of the vamp 32 and moldedon the wall 40, also provide means for controlling the putting on andtaking otf of the boot as well as a shoe positioning means plus a set ofventilation passages between the boot and shoe through which air can bedrawn in and forced out at each step.

In FIG. 7 the heel 43 of the shoe 4-2 is shown in a normal positionproviding maximum passage area for ventilation by the fins 41a.

In FIG. 8 the heel 43 of the shoe 42 is shown in the ingress or egressposition or as fitted in an oversize shoe, with the fins still providingmeans for ventila.lon and control.

FIG. 9 shows the fins 35 at their wider point 38, with two fins on eachside of the fold, thereby making it possible for the fins to be moldedcontinuously from the toe up to the top at 39. I

While the triangular flap 41 is shown placed at the front of the boot inFIG. 6, it could be placed at the rear instead and the rear small finslocated thereon.

The boots herein shown are intended for men sizes but the invention ofcourse is equally applicable to boots for childrens sizes. The actualdimensions of the fins will naturally vary in such cases, although theproportions will be approximately the same.

While the invention has been described with particular reference tospecific embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be limitedthereto, but it is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by thescope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A molded rubber storm boot formed on its inner Wall with a plurality offlexible and resilient inwardly projecting fins for contact with theheel portion of the shoe, said fins being arranged in definite spacedrelation to provide open-ended passages for ventilation and being ofsufiicient width to act as spacers to separate the boot and shoe forpositioning, said fins extending veitically of the boot and varying inwidth along their length in a direction transverse to the wall fromwhich said fins extend, said fins starting in the heel area of the shoewidening out as the fins extend upwardly and finally running out in theupper portion of the boot above the shoe, said fins being contoured tofit between the boot and the heel portion of the shoe to act as guidesfor easy ingress and egress of the shoe and extending above the upperedge of the shoe so as thereby to resist any tendency of the shoe topull out heel first during walking.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,947Pease Nov. 14, 1854 227,811 Miller May 18, 1886 1,812,622 Costello June30, 1931 2,108,656 De Noronha Feb. 15, 1938 2,756,516 Teague July 31,1956

